Tag Heuer launches $1,500 Android Wear smartwatch

Renowned Swiss watch maker Tag Heuer on Monday pulled back the cover on its first Android Wear smartwatch. Known officially as the Tag Heuer Connected Watch, the wearable is arguably the most luxurious smartwatch to date from any manufacturer.

First things first, the specifications. Unique to the device is the fact that it’s powered by a dual-core Intel processor clocked at 1.6GHz, 1GB of RAM and 4GB of local flash storage. Under the 1.5-inch circular transflective LTPS LCD display (360 x 360, 240 PPI) with sapphire crystal coating is a gyroscope, tilt detection sensor, microphone and a haptic engine as well as radios for Bluetooth and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi. The 410mAh battery is said to offer up to 30 hours of runtime between charges.

Aesthetically speaking, the wearable looks more like a traditional wristwatch than a tech-first smartwatch. The watchface measures 46.2mm across, is 12.8mm thick and is crafted out of titanium, as is the strap buckle. The strap itself, meanwhile, is constructed of vulcanized rubber that's offered in your choice of seven different colors.

Curiously enough, there’s no speaker meaning all alerts will be of the haptic nature. It also lacks GPS, perhaps something you’d expect in a wearable priced at $1,500. That’s a huge chunk of change for an Android Wear device that’s functionally no different than models costing a fourth of that price although if it’s any consolation, the company will allow buyers to trade in their device towards the purchase of a traditional mechanical watch after two years of ownership.

The Tag Heuer Connected Watch is available for purchase as of writing.